BIRDS

Bird photography

Photography fine art
Although I love birds, I’ve never been and I never will be a real twitcher / birder, it’s just not in my genes.
I sure love them, but I love them as every other creature and I couldn’t care less if they’re rare or not. When it comes to bird photography, I have two main interests:

 

1. The easygoingness of the bird

I use a full frame Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM, which is way too short for photographing camera-shy creatures. Especially when you don’t like to wear camouflage gear either. Because of my very short focal distance I have to come pretty close and the last thing I want to capture is a disturbed, scared or angry bird. I like my models to be fully at ease 😉

 

2. The setting and light

Personally I prefer a very common bird in special light and beautiful setting above a boring photo of an extremely rare bird. Having said that, of course I do have my preferences, like utterly cute little owlets in fantastic backlight, Eurasian Bitterns doing silly walks, mating Kingfishers on a perch, angry swans, short-eared owls in flight, happily dancing White Throated Dippers, high speed mosquito chasing baby ducklings, god-wit silhouettes at sunset, elegant storks in the snow, imperturbable night-herons, or evil little goslings….
But I can get just as happy with a totally common starling feeding its youngsters or a sparrow enjoying its bath and hopefully this leads to beautiful bird photos with a personal touch…

 

White on white
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Duckling silhouette reflected in the water
Early Birds
Geese at sunrise
Curious little owlet
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Back-lit Little Owlet
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Little Owl hunting
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Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Bird Song
Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris)
Flying short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
“Ode to Swans” Swans are SO strong. I have never seen them actually break an arm, nor do I believe that they would lower themselves to such a thing. But I do think they could…just in case. 😉 In springtime, swans look like dream boats; a floating suit of feathers, where baby swans can play til they drop in an endless soft feather bed …. how cool is that …?! This in contrasts with the sudden ferocity that arises when facing danger. (or a coot). Running over the water like consummate basilisks and flapping their wings as if they want to break the ditch in half! Swans are truly magical creatures, gliding over the water surface, as if controlled by something invisible. (which is actually the case) Pure dignity and calmness. Control to the max. That’s to say: until you arouse their anger. Do them injustice, you better hide! Nothing and nobody will stop them. That whiteness, that grace; almost supernatural purity. And at the same time there is this dark look; which unfathomable depths lie behind….? Swans; so soft and yet so strong, so loving and graceful, so ferocious and unpredictable …. Personifications of contrast. Never a dull moment with a swan. And sometimes I wonder … why did nobody ever get the idea to make the swan a symbol of feminity …?
Gull in a Snowstorm
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
The Murmuration Makers Starling Murmuration
Godwit Silhouette
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Eurasian Bittern flying from a reed bed
The Thinker
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Bath Duck

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Portrait of a young Western Jackdaw
Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
We are Family…
Egyptian goslings (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Little Owl (Athena noctua) in a Tree
Blending Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Yellow duckling reflected in the water
Macro by Proxy White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
Cold Feet
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Gull in the Snow
Cute baby bird
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Dream Duckling
It’s actually a cute gosling….
Little Owl in warm light
Serenity
Mute Swan (Cynus olor)
Whassssuuuuup
Egyptian gosling
PINKISH
Easter Chick
Heron & cherry blossom
Swan in the Mist
Morning Magic
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Little Owl with Mouse
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Robin in the snow
FEED ME!
Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris)
Moody Robin
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Eurasian bittern participating Ministry of Silly Walks
Pretty in Pink
Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
Colourful Goose
Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
What Bittern, Where?!
Portrait of a Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern (Botaurus Stellaris) using its camouflage technique in the snow
Swan Lake
Empty Spaces V – Heron silhouette
Love from Above
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Repetitions Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Long-eared Owlet
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus, previously Strix otus)
Geese in the mist at sunrise
I’m too Sexy for this Site
Wild Duck | Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Empty spaces
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Natural Born Killer Duckling chasing a mosquito
Autumn Egret
“Reflections in Blue” There’s something so magical about swans. Their dignity, the serenity that surrounds them… Did you ever notice that even the water and the wind seem to hold their breath when swan swims by…
Swan at sunset
Blue Heron, Red Tree
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day
Blue Love
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Heron and fall colours
Gosling at Sunset
Egyptian gosling (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Hidden Heron
Autumn heron II
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day
Short-eared Owl in Flight
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus, previously Strix otus)
Starling murmuration at sunset
Gotta whole lot of living to do
Wild Duckling (Anas platyrhynchos)
Geese silhouettes in flight
Gotcha!
Wild Duckling (Anas platyrhynchos)
The March of the Goslings
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
F;ock of Starlings
Yellow duckling and its reflection
Backpack Quack
Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Autumn heron
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day